Prof. Zeev Alfassi from Ben-Gurion University's Nuclear Engineering Department says world giving Iran anything it wants so it won't throw bomb; however, even if Iran throws five bombs Israel won't be destroyed, he says

Anat Barshkovsky |Published: 21.05.06 , 08:34

Professor Zeev Alfassi, former head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at Ben-Gurion University, redefined the Iranian threat Saturday, saying that the Islamic Republic may already be in possession of a nuclear bomb.

However, he said, "even five to six bombs won't destroy Israel."

Alfassi told Ynet that a nuclear bomb could definitely hit an entire city, but not destroy a state.

The United States and Europe are divided over negotiations with Iran, with the Bush administration resisting a new European offer that includes a proposal for a Middle East security "framework" for Iran if it gives up its nuclear activities, The New York Times reports

"The Iranians, in terms of threats, are smarter than everyone. They threaten with a bomb and the world gives them anything they want, as long as they don’t throw the bomb. Being offered a reward instead of a punishment testifies to the fact that they are very smart," he said.

Alfassi doesn’t believe that the Iranians will use the bomb, but “their thinking is fantastic,” he says. The Iranians, he claims, are not necessarily presenting the true facts to the world: They may be showing the International Atomic Energy Agency dummy presentations of an unfinished bomb, while hiding a fully developed bomb elsewhere, such as in caves or underground facilities.

However, he notes, if the Iranians fire even one bomb, the United States will annihilate them. However, “If we don’t create panic, the Americans won’t deal with it,” Alfassi warns.

The real damage

Alfassi called on the public to recognize the true proportions of the threat and claimed the bomb's most severe damages are not the radioactivity factor, but the heat and the shock waves. Radioactive material can even aid in the treatment of diseases like cancer, Alfassi purports, and even if a nuclear bomb scatters the poisonous matter, the danger in it is not great.

“It’s like giving people over 50 a regular dose of aspirin. It would be reasonable if someone said – stand in a radioactive cell because it could eliminate the development of cancer,” Alfassi said. As part of his research into the question, Alfassi experimented on rats and dogs, and he noted that in Japan the method is used to treat cancer patients.

The professor commented on a book he edited recently called “Chemical analyses and nuclear methods,” which was translated in Iran. He claimed that the book did not divulge any information on the atomic bomb, but he noted that Tehran closely tracks the publication of any book about nuclear science.

Knesset Member Ran Cohen (Meretz), a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee also addressed the issue recently during an event in Be'er Sheva. “If Iran wants a final solution to exterminate the Jews, Israel needs to carry the flag of the diplomatic struggle against Iran and its leaders,” Cohen said.

As for military moves, Cohen claimed that if Israel has this option it shouldn’t be too hasty, but also shouldn’t sit idly by in the face of the real threat of a genocide attempt. “He who tries to destroy (Israel) will see the response before he even tries,” he said.